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Technology these days is a fickle mistress—just about the time you feel like you’ve got her figured out, some new advancement or platform comes along and forces you to hustle to keep up with your peers.

And it is the fact that so much changes so quickly that leaves many small business owners wondering if “relics” like the humble email newsletter are still worth crafting.

The short answer, friends…is yes.

Sure, mass email campaigns have been around since the 70s, but that doesn’t mean they no longer hold value. Consider this—a whopping 87% of marketers (you know, the pros who regularly incorporate new tech and platforms into marketing campaigns for their clients) use email to distribute relevant content to their audience.

Make no mistake, email newsletters still have a prominent seat at the marketing table, and the truth is you don’t have to pay a marketing team to create that newsletter for you (though it certainly makes things easier).

Today, we’re inviting you to Email Newsletter 101—a crash course loaded with tips for creating an engaging newsletter that recipients actually want to read.

Tip #1: Choose a Focused Format

Business owners sometimes adopt a “go big or go home” mentality for their e-newsletters and end up cramming every possible detail and announcement into one email.

This is a mistake.

Before you send your newsletter, it’s important to focus on the content. Perhaps this month’s newsletter is devoted to a cause your company supports. Or it might showcase the release of your latest product or service. It could also be a thought piece with your professional take on the latest news within your industry.

The idea is to create a newsletter that is informative and focused.

Tip #2: Give More Than You Get

It’s easy to fall into sales-heavy habits when creating a newsletter. After all, isn’t the whole point of sending the newsletter to increase sales of what you have to offer?

Not always.

Most people are over the “hard sell”, and nothing will compel customers to click that unsubscribe button (and potentially mark emails from you as spam) faster than opening a sales-heavy newsletter trying to strong-arm them into purchasing every product or service you provide.

Instead, create newsletter content that swings in the opposite direction. The majority of your content (and by majority, we mean somewhere around 90%) should be service minded. Offer your audience information that will help make their lives easier. Your products/services should certainly be a part of that but selling should not be the focus.

For example, if you own a plant nursery, your newsletter might include a list and description of the top plants that thrive in your area or plant combos you can use to create seasonal planters to decorate your front porch. While the plants mentioned may all be available at your nursery, the focus of the content is to provide valuable information to your followers.

Tip #3: Visuals are Valuable

We know you have plenty of helpful content to share with your audience…but don’t forget the value of good visuals. Your newsletter should be visually appealing from the minute it is opened, and that means putting a little forethought into its creation.

You can’t get by with text alone, no matter how talented a writer you may be. Your email should be well branded, with your logo and brand colors incorporated into the mix. The font you choose also matters and should be consistent with every email.

It’s also important to include well-branded, high-quality images that will invite readers to…well, read. This could be an attractive photo of one or more of your products, a shot of you and your employees, or a helpful infographic.

Tip #4: Create a Single Call to Action

You may be tempted to stuff your newsletter with multiple CTA’s…click here to read more! Act now! Order today! Sign up here!

But doing so often leaves readers with a bad taste in their mouths…after all, who enjoys being bossed around like that?

Limit yourself to a single CTA and structure your email content so that, by the time, the reader gets to the CTA, they feel fully informed and compelled to click. For example, if you are planning an event and the goal of this month’s newsletter is to get people to RSVP their attendance, your email content should provide plenty of details about the function and why signing up will benefit the reader. Photos of attendees having a great time at a previous event would be the perfect visual addition. Then finish with the CTA and sit back as those RSVP’s roll in.

Email newsletters are excellent for connecting with customers in a way that feels authentic and genuine. If you decide you’d like a little professional assistance in the email department, we hope you’ll contact us at Digital Canteen. Not only will we craft visually stunning, well-branded emails for you, but we’ll also monitor all the behind-the-scenes data to ensure your email campaign is a success.

Here’s to creating an email newsletter that gets results!

Thanks for reading,
Digital Canteen Team
02-9025-4304